Basketball Game Preview: Southside Seahawks vs. Princeton Bulldogs

The Southside Seahawks will take on the Princeton Bulldogs in a holiday battle at at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Last Friday, everything came up roses for Southside against North East Carolina Prep as the team secured a 56-13 win. That 43 point margin sets a new team best for the Seahawks this season.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Southside to victory, but perhaps none more so than Lily McLean, who posted eight points in addition to nine steals and eight rebounds. McLean is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Tamya Smith, who had 11 points in addition to eight boards and three steals.

Southside smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 29 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in December of 2023.

Meanwhile, Princeton had just enough and edged Rosewood out 29-27 on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldogs.

Princeton's win came from a few key players Southside will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Celeste Anchondo Cedillo, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Paisley Beddingfield, who posted seven points and seven steals.

The victory got Southside back to even at 3-3. As for Princeton, their win bumped their record up to 3-5.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Southside has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Princeton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Southside took their victory against Princeton in their previous meeting back in November by a conclusive 58-35. Does Southside have another victory up their sleeve, or will Princeton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.